


La Petite Morte

by BattleBelle23



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: A Little Horror, F/F, F/M, Inspired by AHS Freakshow, M/M, Supernatural - Freeform, loooads of drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:53:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BattleBelle23/pseuds/BattleBelle23
Summary: She took a step towards him, her hand found his chin, "Hey, hey...you're starting to scare me, what's wrong?"His eyes left the circus and looked at her for the first time since this little trance he fell into. She felt like the only real thing in his eyes right now.I'm sorry. I love you. We have to run as far as we can."I'm...fine, yeah. Just seasick." he lies and she doesn't believe him, not for a second. But this wasn't the time or place, so she nods, deciding to bring it up later."Come on, let's go inside and sit down, get some food in you." she suggests with a smile. She walked away and he followed, but as they did, her hand slipped away from his. He knew why it did. After all, things were still ambiguous between them at the moment.Still, he wish she never let go.Of course, had he known the events that would transpire in the coming days, the moment her hand slipped away, he would have reached forward, grabbed it again and ran away with her until they were back on that boat.
Relationships: Harry/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	La Petite Morte

Come, come one, come all  
You must be this tall  
To ride this ride and the carnival

Oh, come take my hand  
And run through playland  
So high, too high at the carnival

  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Cirque de Circe was in Barcelona for the month.

William March, the headliner and owner of the circus, hated the summer months. Always attracted the rudest, drunkest, dumbest tourists. They came with their shirtless bodies, loud whoops, toddlers with fingers up their noses pulling on the tails of animals. None of them ever respected the art, the performance, the magic they saw before them. He and his troupe put their hearts and souls on display for these people yet they didn't care. His beloved Cirque was nothing more than an anecdote to be told during Sunday brunches when tourists went home and saw their friends once more. 

So, when he heard that Barcelona was extra packed this summer because rumor leaked that some famous reality TV stars were making some sort of group trip here, he already had a pre-headache before the show tonight.

As was usual, he and a few members of his troupe would go to this restaurant on a rooftop. It was rarely populated with the masses as it was located on top of an old, 'non-aesthetic' building. But this was the finest metaphor he could think of: something sorely looked over because it doesn't stand out, yet inside, it houses the best tapas and the finest wine in all of Barcelona.

After all, he was a showman and he knew more than anyone the importance of appearance, which is why he became an expert to knowing when that was all there was: a beautiful appearance and nothing more.

On a sunny, beautiful summer afternoon, he watched with both fondness and resentment for his little troupe: Shelley already on her third glass of wine, which he would normally stop as it would impair her performance, but as she was just a humble ticket seller and took care of the animals, it's not like she was in the public eye for long. Coco the Contortionist stuffing her face with the tapas, which always amazes William as she eats like an elephant yet she still maintains that slender and flexible physique. Damien, the lion and snake tamer, was just taking an obscene amount of 'selfies' which he will undoubtedly post to his millions of subscribers or followers or minions or whatever they called it these days. Not that William could complain, after all, since it was publicity.

A few other members of his troupe lingered around, all chatting and having fun, a way to destress before the show tonight. For a second, William closed his eye and imagine this could have been a beautiful day...

"But it's not. Because you're not here....."

Before he could dwell on the past, his thoughts were interrupted when he saw cameras, heard screams and could feel the ground rumbling with people running.

"Looks like the D-listers are here." Shelley snorts.

"Don't be so crass, Shelley." William demanded, even though he silently agreed with her.

Beside her, Coco huffed. "And stop bitching. Those 'D-listers' might bring us more publicity than you think.

"Oh, who cares about publicity! They're Love Island royalty! I'm definitely getting an autograph." Damien grins as he watches them. "God, there's Miki! She's just as pretty on TV. And look how Genevieve moves, she's like some kind of lost princess. Oh, and Sebastian with that broody introvert mood, ugh, why is he not gay? Oh, but Tai is bi..."

"Calm yourself, Damien." William ordered, "Don't let yourself go crazy over fleeting fancies."

"Fleeting? Err, every summer he talks our ear off about the damn show." Shelley remarks.

"Well, excuse me if I have interests outside of this carnival! Besides, I don't know, boss. You may not like reality TV stars, but one of them seems like your type: long black hair, brown eyes, sharp wit, clever as the devil...who knows? You might have a 'fleeting fancy' yourself." Damien grinned.

Everyone knew exactly who Damien was referring to. They all froze at the same time. Damien could get away with talking about HER because hurting Damien was like kicking a puppy. A very dumb puppy who honestly just didn't know any better. 

Stil, that didn't stop William clenching his fist and taking a deep breath. "I very much doubt that, old boy."

Still, he looked down as he took a closer look at these so-called celebrities. Most of them looked exactly as he expected them to: young, superficially attractive, dumb young adults with toothy smiles that told Will they were ignorant of how cruel life can be. He scoffed. 

Then he saw her.

Black curls. Dark almond-shaped eyes. Red painted heart-shaped lips...and a far-off sadness in her eyes masked behind girlish mirth, an expression only recognised by those who have suffered great pain in their lives.

Was it-? No, it couldn't be...

"Circe?"

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carnivals were Alisa Koh's absolute favorite thing in the world. All of her happiest memories have always happened in carnivals. There, she looked around and saw everything: children smiling. Teenagers having fun. Adults falling in love...

It was the closest thing she ever got to magic.

Her experience on Love Island, of course, was simillar. She always wondered if it was the sun, the fact that for the first time in ages she wasn't constantly busy, surrounded by people who genuinely liked her and not her money...or was it Harry?

She'd always wanted to go to a carnival with Harry. Never got to, though. They were always so busy, both of them. There was always something to do. He was always networking. Studying. Playing. Funny thing is, so was she. Yet they never did it together. She'd always envisioned that they would be some power couple, encouraging each other to be their best selves, long study sessions until 1am and then cuddling together to sleep.

But things never seemed to go as planned. 

They spent a wonderful year together and it was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. But things have been different the last few months. Confusing, tiring, terrifying...Once, the couple who could finish each other's sentences were now constantly wondering what the hell the other person was thinking.

Things have been even scarier now. They were on a reunion boat trip with their friends. This should be one of the best times of her life: friends, new places, love. Instead, her stomach was constantly filled with fear and worry, worst than when she was waiting for exam results. She was constantly wondering what will happen next. 

Alisa is far from being a stranger to relationships. After all, she had a certain...reputation. But this was the first time she thought it finally meant more. She never had those butterflies in her stomach the way she did with Harry. She was never so scared to lose anyone like she was with him. She's never been in love, truly in love, not lying and telling herself she was to get through the day, until him.

But now, what? The man she was so sure loved her didn't seem to anymore. Or care. In fact, she even wondered if he hated her...Even now, she stared at the blue silk tie in her hands, wondering if this was a good idea. What if he threw it to the ground? What if he rolled his eyes? What if he just walked away from her?

"Go." Seb, also known as the wind beneath her wings, encourages. "Come on, Alisa. This has gone on for long enough. We all know that you and Harry are going to be together again, anyway."

She sighed, shaking her head. "No, we don't. It's been weeks, Seb. No phone call, no messages...and he didn't even blink when I was with Rafi earlier. So, it's official. He doesn't care, it's over."

Seb's heart broke over his best friend, seeing her so unhappy. "You don't believe that."

"Yes, I do." she said firmly and it was a well-known fact that once Alisa decided something, she believed it. But that didn't make it true.

"If you truly believed there was no chance, why did you buy him a little present?"

To that, Alisa had no answer. Seb grinned. To render that woman speechless seemed like an impossible feat sometimes, so he couldn't help but feel a bit smug about it.

"We're going to the carnival tonight." he reminded her with a wink.

"Well, deceptively innocent floral dress that emphasises my cleavage, it is." she winked as she held out a dress that was, indeed, the kind of dress a mother would buy her daughter for her Sunday best, only to be mortified at how the flowy dress was actually very tight in all the right places. 

Seb laughed, "You she-devil."

She shared a grin, making it look like she had it all figured out. But as soon as one of her best friends left her room, the grin disappeared. She stared at the dress wistfully. What a beautiful dress. A white collar on the neckline, a thin brown belt around the waist and patterns of pastel beige and pink flowers.

If there was one thing Alisa knew, it was how to dress. She knew as soon as she went outside, she would be showered with compliments of how she could make a simple dress look timelessly elegant. 

Too bad the one person she wanted to hear a compliment from the most probably wouldn't say a word.

She walked into the carnival with her friends and from the moment she stepped foot, something inside her felt so different. The scent of churros and cotton candy, the delighted screams of people going into roller coasters and music eveywhere, it filled Alisa's senses. 

The only thing that would have made it better was coming in, holding Harry's hand.

Although she never went to a carnival with Harry, they did go to Paris together, around Christmas...and, oh, was it magnificient...

All those months ago.

Christmas markets in Paris. Mulled wine held in her leather glove on one hand and Harry's hand wrapped around hers in the other. 

He could still remember the scent of her perfume. She had it bought at this fancy little place in Champs-Elysees and it melted into her skin like it was natural. He remembers resting his chin on top of her head and smelling roses, patchouli, cashmere and powdery lilacs. 

The cold air tinted both of their cheeks pink, but both of them still felt incredibly warm, sheltering each other from the winter. Harry's eyes fell to her and all he could think about was how incredibly happy and lucky he was.

"Hey, stop eating my macarons, these are Laduree!" Alisa exclaimed as Harry bit one of her salted caramel macarons right out of her hand.

"Sharing is caring!" Harry insisted, laughing. "Come on, I'm starving!"

"Starving? We just ate fondue!" Alisa protested.

"And yet here you are, whingeing about sharing your dessert." Harry teased.

Alisa blinked. "...We're talking about you, here, not me."

"Right." Harry smirked at her pouty face, but he knew she was just laughing alongside him. 

They lights bounced off her cheeks and he could see the shining colors reflect off her dark eyes. In that red beret, beige cashmere coat and her rose-red lips, he could only thing of one thing: he's convinced that he's going to wake up any second and realise that this has all been a dream. She couldn't possibly be real. What's more, there was no way she was his and the thought of her wanting him to be hers was absurd. She could do so much better than him.

I cannot tell you how impossibly in love I am with you and how happy I want you to be...

And she had never looked happier than she was right now. Their return from Love Island was rough the first few weeks. Fame came with its downsides and Alisa was the breakout star of the show. But with great love comes great hate: the haters attacked Alisa as if she was the devil in high heels herself. Suddenly, everyone knew about her sordid past: Alisa the Whore. Alisa the Bitch. Alisa the Psycho. 

What's more, everyone knew all her secrets. And what secrets they were...Intimate details, places she'd gone to, the people she's known, the things she has done...The past she fought so hard to to escape came hurling back to her like a freight train.

At the time, Alisa was sure Harry would leave. Knowing her past, who would want to be with someone like her? 

Instead, it only made him love her more. 

He looked into her soul and saw just how strong she could be. She's been treated with so much anger, cruelty and hate, and it only made her kind, even though she was so determined to pretend otherwise.

These were words she had heard before. But she'll hear it over again and again because she deserved to know how serious he was. So in the middle of Paris on a cold winter's night, surrounded by markets filled with scarves and homemade candles and gingerbread cookies, he repeated the words he had said so many times before. 

"I love you, Ali." he suddenly tells her.

Alisa stops in her tracks. She was no stranger to those three little words. She's heard it on so many lips: that of her own family, of men, of women. They seldom meant it and they often expected something in return for saying it, so much so that the words meant as much to her as 'please' and 'thank you'. In fact, there was a period where the words 'I love you' was synonym for 'I'll hurt you' and she dreaded to hear it.

Not with Harry, though. He always meant it. She saw it in his eyes, the way his voice dropped to a lost whisper when he said her name, how he always began to say it by putting his hands on her neck and slowly rising up to her face until he cupped her face in his hands, tilting it up and making sure she could see him say it.

"What brought this on?" she asks teasingly, using her joking nature to distract from the fact that everytime he said it, it never failed to make her smile or blush or light up.

"Just thought you should know how hopelessly in love I am with you and how you've got me completely wrapped around your tiny little finger." he smiles at her.

In a mock pout, she pulls away, "Tiny?!"

"And cute and fits perfectly in my hands and just...amazing." Hary laughs, pulling her back until he rested his forehead on hers and both of their noses were touching.

Harry remembered thinking this moment, right now, was perfect. Then he remembered that he had thought that so many times before. It seemed like with Alisa, there was always another moment that made things that already seemed amazing seem just absolutely indescribable.

And as usual, after a moment of silence just enjoying each other's embrace, she found a way to make this already great moment even better.

"I love you, too, Harry."

Even now, the words she spoke back in December were still fresh in his ears.

"Harry? Are you with us?" Iona waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked and remembered that he was not, in fact, in Paris with the woman he loved in his arms. Instead, he was in Barcelona and although the woman he loved was a few feet away, he never felt so further from her.

Alisa loved carnivals. Alisa loved anything with loud noises, things that sold little knick knacks, smiles on every faces, music blaring and lights of every color surrounding her. Ironically, these were the things he once hated and avoided with every fiber of his being. He didn't understand why people could be attracted to crowded places and overpriced things. But then he went with her and realised it wasn't about the place, it was about the people you went with. Usually with the people you loved the most and you all sought adventures together, played silly games like you were children and not adults with responsibilities and ate comforting food you wouldn't usually touch. 

Suddenly, the very things he hated seemed just as magical in his eyes as it was in hers.

Today was no exception. Even he couldn't help but feel energised at the gorgeous carnival they began to walk into. It was near the beach and he could see a haunted house, a large roller coaster, a tall ferris wheel, several stands of food and games, but the belle of the ball was probably that humongous circus tent in the middle. It didn't look like those cheap circuses you saw, not the typical red-and-white striped tent. No, the tent was satin white, covered by yellow fairy lights that seemed to glow even under the hot summer sun, diamond stars on white silk. There were several tents surrounding it, smaller and different colors, and he even saw the trunk of an elephant peek out at some point.

It was impossible not to be amazed at the sight, but nothing compared to when his eyes wandered for what seemed like the millionth time towards Alisa. This was the first time he saw the light returning into her eyes. He hadn't seen it for so long that he didn't even see the smile grow on his face as he watched her stare at the carnival around them with marvel and wonder.

"Race you all to the roller coaster!" Tai challenged.

"Hell, yes!" Alisa said, giddy and jumping up and down.

"No, let's hit the spinning teacups first!" AJ said.

"You lot are all wrong, we should go to the ferris wheel, it'll be so romanti-" Gen began but trailed off when she saw how both Harry and Alisa's eyes fall when she said that.

"People, people! I love the energy, but there's a circus show in a few minutes and we have to go first, then you're all free to go crazy on the carnival." Elladine informed.

"Oh, my gosh, Ella, you didn't say we were going to see Cirque de Circe!" Miki exclaimed, "Okay, I know I said no work, but this just HAS to go on my blog!"

Bill blinked. "Cirque de what now?"

"Cirque de Circe. It's a circus almost as known as the Cirque de Soleil but apparently, it's ridiculously hard to watch a show because they never tell you when they come. They just show up overnight, no warning or anything, then suddenly all the tents are there." Miki explains.

"Doesn't make sense. Aren't they with the carnival?" Yasmin asked.

"Nope. They only showed up this week! And I knew you'd be happy, Miki. I've heard about them, too. The shows are spectacular but what's really amazing are the performers. Apparently, they just all have a 'thing' about them. It's impossible to take our eyes off."

"Oh, I think I've heard of them." Seb remembered as he whipped out his phone and began a search, "They've got a bit of a cult following online. There's some ridiculous conspiracy theories, like they're all secretly hundred-year-old undead people, they're immortal or something."

Alisa leaned it, took one look at the picture and whistled with a grin, "Whoa. Well, if that's what the dead look like, then sign me up."

"Oh, Alisa, don't be ridiculous, they can't be that-oh, wow, you're right, they're gorgeous." Genevieve's eyes widened as she saw them.

Harry rolled his eyes as he watched Alisa drool over whatever was on that picture.

"They can't be that good-looking." then he took a look at Seb's phone and nearly dropped it. Well, he was right, they weren't good-looking. They were iridescent.

There was something about the appearances of every single one of them, like they were all pulled out of a different era, even though they all looked like they were roughly the Islanders' ages. The youngest looking one wore a white shirt, leather jacket, jeans and a pompadour-esque hairstyle like a 50s greaser. One of the girls had flowers in her hair and a long flowy skirt, reminiscent of hippie culture of the 60s. The other had fishnets and combat boots that resembled the punk rock style of the 70s. A girl looked very 90s, with her crimp hair and denim jacket. There were other people surrounding them, all looking like they had time travelled into this century.

Most striking was the man in the middle, who looked straight out of the roaring 20s: a suave tuxedo, a tall hat, striking facial features like high cheekbones and a sharp jawline, white-gloved hands holding a long black cane with a beautiful round silver grip.

"Wow. I know I said that I'm 100% gay, but even I can say that is one beautiful man." AJ nodded.

True. Now, Harry himself wasn't gay, but he had eyes and he could tell this was the kind of men that people would cut off their hands to be with. The man had mysterious black hair gelled back, a sharp jawline, high cheekbones, electric blue eyes that seemed impossibly piercing even by looking at it through a phone screen. 

But there was something unnerving about this man. Something that made him feel uneasy. Harry was the kind of guy who prided himself on being a good judge of character. He knew the first time he met Alisa that she was the one. He knew when he met Seb that he was going to be Alisa's best friend. He knew when he met Miki that she would be the Seb to his Alisa. He knew Lilly was the type of person who looked sweet and probably tried to convince herself that she was, but was a coward deep down and prone to selfishness.

And true, this was just a screen. He hadn't met this man in real life. But something about him...just felt unnatural.

He watched as his friends headed into the circus tent. This grandiose circus tent filled with mystery and oddity. Every step he took, he felt like the world melted behind him. The only thing that was, is and always would be was the circus before him. It was both hypnotising and terrifying.

On impulse, his hand reached out to Alisa's hand. For a few seconds, he had ignored the fact that they were no longer together. His heart beat faster and he could feel adrenaline all over his body.

Run, it said. No, begged. Take your friends. Take her and run.

"Harry?" Alisa called, concern in her eyes. Her other hand went over his, "Harry, you're pale. Are you okay?"

Tell her you're sorry. Tell her you love her. Tell her you both have to run as far as you can.

She took a step towards him, her hand found his chin, "Hey, hey...you're starting to scare me, what's wrong?" 

His eyes left the circus and looked at her for the first time since this little trance he fell into. She felt like the only real thing in his eyes right now.

I'm sorry. I love you. We have to run as far as we can.

"I'm...fine, yeah. Just seasick." he lies and she doesn't believe him, not for a second. But this wasn't the time or place, so she nods, deciding to bring it up later.

"Come on, let's go inside and sit down, get some food in you." she suggests with a smile. She walked away and he followed, but as they did, her hand slipped away from his. He knew why it did. After all, things were still ambiguous between them at the moment.

Still, he wish she never let go. 

Of course, had he known the events that would transpire in the coming days, the moment her hand slipped away, he would have reached forward, grabbed it again and ran away with her until they were back on that boat.

Now, it was too late. 

  
_________________________________________________________________________________

And it's all fun and games  
Til somebody falls in love  
But you've already bought a ticket  
And there's no turning back now


End file.
